The Society of Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers of Nigeria (SLAMEN), the professional organization for all practicing Aircraft Engineers in Nigeria, on May 24th, 2024 joined the global aviation community to celebrate the International Aircraft Engineers Day.
The day is chosen to recognize the critical role that Aircraft Maintenance Engineers play in ensuring the safety, security and reliability of air travel and its operations.
With a strength of about four thousand (4000) Licensed Aircraft Engineers, the Society provides members with professional education through seminars, workshops, etc.
The Society is an affiliate of the Aircraft Engineers International (ΑΕΙ) with headquarters in Belgium. With AEI only concerning itself with the interests of air safety, aviation maintenance and maintenance qualified personnel throughout the world.
Speaking through its President, Engineer Mubarak Haladu, SLAMEN used tye day to highlight the importance of aircraft maintenance in the aviation industry.
According to.Haladu: “Our members work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that aircraft are airworthy and meet the highest safety standards leveraging on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARS) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annexes along with the Aircraft Manufacturers documents.
“For every aircraft you see in the air, an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer must have CERTIFIED it as AIRWORTHY before being taken to the skies by pilots.
“We are proud to celebrate the dedication and expertise of our members who work diligently to keep the flying public safe. Aircraft Maintenance Engineers are the unsung HEROES of the aviation industry, and we are grateful for their hard work and commitment to excellence and service.”
To mark the occasion, SLAMEN organized series of events, including a symposium on aircraft maintenance best practices, a training session on new technologies, and an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding contributions to the profession.
SLAMEN also used the opportunity to call on the government and industry stakeholders to support the development of aircraft maintenance infrastructure and training programs in Nigeria.
There are quite a lot of qualified aircraft maintenance engineers in the country without employment and are required to be absorbed by either Airlinesor AMOS- Approved Maintenance Organizations.
His words: “However, we are yet to have a standard, equipped Hangar facility in the Country. Again, they can be employed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which we also do not have. We need establishment of multiple maintenance facilities and airlines to employ the qualified unemployed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in the country.
“We believe that investing in aircraft maintenance will not only improve safety, boost the growth of the industry and also save forex for Nigeria; the amount of foreign currencies that end up abroad via aircraft maintenance can boost the already weakened economy of Nigeria” said the professional body’s President, Engr Mubarak Haladu.
“As we celebrate International Aircraft Engineer’s Day, we honor the dedication and expertise of our members and the entire aircraft maintenance community worldwide. We look forward to continuing our work towards a safer and more efficient aviation industry. Join us in recognizing the critical role of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and let us work together to take the industry to new heights.
.
